Children

BismilLahhirRahmannirRaheem

Children are the great gift and blessings from Allah (SWT). They are like buds and flowers in our society. They are the cool of the eyes and source of pride and comfort. The wish to have children is a part of human nature. From an ordinary person to the people of great stature, all long for parenting a child. The Holy Qur’an mentions that great prophets like Hazrat Ibraheem (AS) and Hazrat Zakariya (AS) prayed Allah (SWT) for a child as mentioned in Surah As-Saaffaat (Aayah 100) Hazrat Ibraheem prayed (“O Lord, grant me a righteous son.” Hazrat Zakariya (AS) as mentioned in Surah Maryam prayed “…Grant me a successor as a favor from you.” Allah (SWT) accepted their prayers and granted them what they asked for. This is a strange phenomenon of nature that the man who is Allah’s Khalifah in this world is born as weak and feeble needing support and care on every step till he or she blooms into adulthood. To fulfill this condition, Allah (SWT) has ingrained a deep love and affection in mankind’s nature for their off springs. This is a subtle indication that Allah (SWT) wants us to pay due attention to children’s physical, intellectual, mental and emotional growth and development. That is why Islam has given great importance to this aspect of our social responsibility.

The Holy Qur’an in Surah At-Tahreem (Aayah 6) says, “O you who believe, save yourselves and your families from the Fire whose fuel is men and rocks…” The Aayah emphasizes the importance of children’s education and training. Our beloved Prophet (SAW) said that to educate and train your child in manners and etiquettes is better than sacrificing an animal in Sadaqah. Children are like saplings, soft and easy to mould and shape as needed, when these saplings turn into plants and trees, they become stiff and strong and hard to mend and bend. Early childhood education makes the future personality. Family atmosphere and careful attention, or lack of it results in a successful or a failed person.

The concern that one should have for the religious and spiritual condition of a child is highlighted in the simple question, which Hazrat Yaqoob (AS) asked his sons returning from Egypt about Hazrat Yusuf (AS). It was evident that Hazrat Yusuf (AS) was well and alive by the Grace of Allah. But due to the 40 years separation from his darling son, Hazrat Yaqoob had lost his eyesight. Hazrat Yusuf (AS) had given his shirt to his brothers and asked them to place that on the eyes of his blind father. As predicted by Hazrat Yusuf (AS), Allah (SWT) restored the eyesight of Hazrat Yaqoob (AS). The first thing the father asked after regaining his eyesight was “Tell me how is Yusuf?” They all said that Yusuf was doing great and Allah had raised him to the status of the king of Egypt. Hazrat Yaqoob (AS) responded: “I am not asking you if he is a beggar or a king, my question how his religion is and how is doing spiritually?” When Hazrat Yaqoob (AS) was told about his son’s piety, sincerity of faith and belief, only then Hazrat Yaqoob was satisfied.



People of Prophetic temperament without doubt have the same passions of love towards their children, but they care more not for the physical comfort, but the spiritual and religious well-being and progress. Aayahs 132-133 of Surah Al-Baqarah attest to this truth:

“And Ibraheem left his legacy to his sons, and to Yaqoob, and said: “O my sons, Allah has chosen this as the faith for you. Do not die but as those who have submitted to Allah. Were you present at the hours of Yaqoob’s death? What will you worship after me? He asked his sons, and they answered: We shall worship you and Allah and the Rub of your fathers, of Ibraheem and Ishmael and Ishaque, the one and only Allah and to him we submit.”

Muslims in general are not practicing Deen and away from religion because parents themselves are not well versed in religion. The only concern is that children should be educated and trained to be successful in the worldly life. Attention is paid only to their careers and jobs. Though the greatest asset and the everlasting good is pure Eemaan and good virtuous deeds and actions. That is why Prophet (SAW) said that no parent could give a better gift to his or her children than good education and training.

This is a fact that school students look forward to Summer vacation. They all need and want a break from the hectic school life for the sake of some comfort and contentment. They achieve it or not, that is a different question. There is a sure prescription for the achievement of heart felt contentment and the success of both the words, and the prescription is to utilize this vacation by keeping away from aimless and useless preoccupations. This period should be invested in constructive and reformative activities. Time’s best utilization is to spend it in activities, which are beneficial for all aspects of life, for the spiritual and religious achievements.

One Arab poet has said: That child is not an orphan, who has lost his father, but the one who has been deprived from knowledge, manners and etiquettes.” How true the poet has said. The child, who has a father, is still like an orphan who hasn’t been given the right type of education. This is the basic and prime responsibility of parents to give their children fundamental and basic Islamic education from the early stage of their life. If everyone pays due attention to this sacred duty and responsibility, the quality of Muslims will certainly change and the image of Muslims worldwide will also change. Recall that period when Muslim Ummah excelled in the arts and sciences, they dominated the world, they were the trendsetters, and their words and actions decided the currents of history. Please pay due attention to the Islamic education of your children to restore what has been lost by the Muslim Ummah. Jazak Allah Khair.